@caleb_michaud: "Got a question. I have a photograph in one layer. And a shape filled red in another layer serving as the background. I want to blend the photo inot the background. How can i do this. When i try to use the blending tool...it has a small x when i put it on the shape. I want the photo and background to look as one....
any help would greatly be apprecieated"
    @pettit: "An opacity mask can be any coxlawrence@example.org. Using a black to white radial gradient as your mask could be used to provide a circular effect where it is more opaque in the middle. Using the Feather effect will create a mask that fuzzes the edges of the image, following whatever contour the image has.
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All this is covered in the Help. It sounds like you really should read it."
    @Bret_Martin: "Yes. Select only the item you want to fade. Draw a box (rectangle tool) over the top of it to cover it completely. In the same palette where the transparency tab is located, click on the gradient tab and adjust the box to your liking. Black will become transparent, white will become opaque. With the box AND the item (photo for example) selected, click on the transparency tab, then click on the "flyaway" (little right arrow) then click on "make opacity mask". You can experiment from there."
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